Power reset mechanism for wringers



y 4, 1966 c. H. BOYER 3,252,311

POWER RESET MECHANISM FOR WRINGERS 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 6, 1964 IIIIIIIIIIIIIN m -Wm iiiilllli'nr TOR- BY M W V %NEYS May 24, 1966 c. H. BOYER POWER RESET MECHANISM FOR WRINGERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 6, 1964 INVENTOR. CZcZ/Z-B 1% BO 6'! BY 3 M M W W V ATTORNEYS May 24, 1966 c. H. BOYER POWER RESET MECHANISM FOR WRINGERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 6, 1964 INVENTOR. CZar/ea A. 5W6! BY M, 79 V TTORNEYS United States. Patent 3,252,311 POWER RESET MECHANISM FOR WRINGERS Charles H. Boyer, Fremont, Ohio, assignor to Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed May 6, 1964, Ser. No. 365,462- 9 Claims. (Cl. 68253) This invention relates to improvements in a power reset wringer, and more particularly to a wringer of the type generally used in connection with household washing machines and which is equipped with means to automatically reset the pressure between the rolls when the wringer is again started after pressure had been released, the reset means being driven by the power source actuating the wringer, although the invention may be used with other types of squeeze roll mechanisms and may have other uses and purposes, as .will lbC apparent to one skilled in the art.

In the past, power reset means for wringers have been developed, but fail to meet all the deside-rata for such mechanisms. With these formerly known arrangements,

one or more disadvantages were present in every instance of which Iv am aware, such as the mechanism occupying too much space, embodying an objectionable number of parts, operating objectionably slowly, not being desirably safe and positive in action, the addition of the mechanism required objectionable changes in the frame of the wringer Jby rearrangement of other mechanisms, and in many cases the addition of the power reset mechanism was objectionably if not prohibitively expensive.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an important object of the instant invention to provide a wringer having a power pressure reset mechanism associated therewith with all of the above noted disadvantages eliminated.

Another object of this invention is the provision of power reset mechanism for a wringer so compact that it occupies no ,more space than the hand operated toggle linkages commonly used heretofore to reset pressure between the rolls.

It is also an object of this invention to provide power reset mechanism for a wringer which established pressure between the wringer rolls in approximately one-half revolution of the driven roll shaft.

A further feature of this invention resides in the provision of a wringer equipped with power reset mechanism that may be installed extremely economically and which requires no enlargement of the wringer frame.

Still another feature of this invention is the provision of a wringer equipped with power reset mechanism embodying relatively few automatically operating parts whereby the structure is not only economical, but fast acting and positive in operation.

While some of the more salient features, characteristics and advantages of the instant invention have been above pointed out, others will become apparent from the following disclosures, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a wringer equipped with power reset mechanism embodying principles of the instant invention, parts being broken away and parts being shown in vertical section, pressure being on the rolls;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar in character to FIGURE 1, lbllt showing the parts in pressure released position;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary end view of the structure as seen in FIGURE 1, the shroud being removed;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary end view of the structure as seen in FIGURE 2, the shroud being removed;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially as indicated by the line VV of FIG- 3 ,Z 52 ,3 l l Patented May 24, 1966 URE 3, showing a portion of the mechanism in position to apply pressure to the rolls, and

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially as indicated by the line VI-VI of FIGURE 5.

As shown in the drawings It will be understood that many parts of the wringer .illustrated in the drawings and with which the instant parts of the wringer by a shroud 6. Externally of the inboard end of the shroud is the usual hand lever 7 movable from neutral to forward drive position and from neutral to reverse drive position for actuating a drive shaft 8 in the desired direction through gearing of a known type.

Journalled in suitable bearings of a known type, which have been omitted from the drawings for purposes of clarity, is a rotatably driven lower roll shaft 9 carrying a squeeze roll 10 thereon. The inboard end of this shaft 9 is provided with a cross pin 11 which fits in a transverse groove 12 of a clutch head 13 on the aforesaid drive shaft'8.

Another shaft 14 carries an upper squeeze roll 15 for cooperation with the lower roll 10, the upper shaft 14 being driven by pressure contact between the parallel rolls 10 and 15. Pressure may be sustained between the rolls by any suitable spring means, as is well known in the art. The upper roll shaft 14 is journalled by suitable bearings such as oiled wooden blocks, a bearing 16 being shown for the outboard end of the shaft 14in FIGURE 1. This bearing, disposed above the shaft 14 is held in a bearing cage 17 which is movable upwardly and downwardly during pressure release and reset operations, respectively, and the inner face of which cage is provided with an opening 18 with a bent struck out portion of the cage defining a shoulder 19 at the bottom of that opening. Downward movement of the bearing cage forces the upper roller into pressure contact with the lower roll, with the rolls in operative position as seen in FIGURE 1. Upon release of pressure, the bearing cage 17 moves upwardly permitting the rolls to separate as seen in FIGURE 2.

The mechanism for automatically setting and resetting roll pressure is carried mainly by the out-board end of the lower roll shaft 9 and the adjacent end stile 1. This mechanism includes a clutch plate 20 fixed to the lower roll shaft 9 by way of a set screw 21, FIGURE 5, or in any equivalent manner. As seen in FIGURES 5 and 6, this clutch plate is provided with an annular series of clutch pin receiving sockets 22, these sockets being elongated and arouate in shape to facilitate quick engagement by a clutch pin. Centrally thereof and immediately around the shaft 9 the clutch plate is also provided with a recess 23 to house a coil spring 24, the function of which will be later explained.

Outwardly of the clutch plate 20 a disk 25 is concentrically and freely carried by the shaft 9, the disk being free to rotate relatively to the shaft as well as slide back and forth along the shaft. Secured to the outer face of the disk and also floating on the shaft 9 is a circular cam 26 eccentrically positioned relatively to the disk and the shaft. As seen in FIGURE 5, the cam 26 is provided with an internal recess 27 forming a socket for a coil spring 28 which acts upon a headed pin 29 the shank of which projects through a suitable opening in the disk so that the pin might enter one of the arcuate recesses 22 of the clutch plate 20. Normally, when the wringer is in operation, the parts are disengaged because the aforesaid spring 24 moves the disk and cam along the shaft and holds them in position with the pin 29 out of engagement with the clutch plate, as seen in FIGURE 1. Only during a reset operation is the pin 29 engaged with the clutch plate 20.

Resetting of roll pressure is accomplished by way of the cam 26 acting upon a linkage during a partial re'volution of the shaft 9 while the cam is engaged with the clutch plate 20. The reset mechanism includes a shaft 30 mounted in the end stile 1 for rotary oscillation. Rigidly secured to this shaft centrally thereof is a fork 31, the inwardly projecting arms of which are of sufiicient length to enter into the opening 18 in the bearing cage 17 and abut against the shoulder 19 when the parts are moved to pressure position. Also rigidly secured to the shaft 30 on opposite sides of the fork 31 are crank arms 32 and 33. Between the free ends of these crank arms is a cam bar 34 having a journal formation 35 on each end thereof pivotally associated with the crank arms 32 and 33. This bar 34 is disposed outside the upper portion of the aforesaid floating disk 25 immediately adjacent thereto or in contact therewith both when pressure is upon the rolls or when pressure has been released, as seen in FIGURES l and 2 respectively. Consequently this bar 34 limits the outward movement of the disk by the spring 24, but for convenience during assembly of the parts an O-ring 36 may be utilized on the end of the shaft 9.

The reset mechanism also includes a U-shaped link comprising a cross arm 37 and a pair of like upstanding legs 38 and 39, the upper ends of the legs being pivotally connected to the journal ends 66-35 of the cam bar 34. Each of these legs 38 and 39 is provided intermediately thereof with a substantially L-shaped cam slot 40, seen best in FIGURES 1 and 2, in each of which a stud or guide pin 41 extends. These studs 41 are carried by the side frame channels 3 and 4, as seen best in FIGURES 3 and 4. Between the lower ends of the legs 38 and 39 a cross rod 42 is disposed and welded or equivalently secured to the legs.

To hold the reset mechanism above described in roll pressure sustaining position a latching mechanism consisting of a stop lever 43, pivoted to a cross shaft 44 in the end stile 1, is provided. This lever has a flat top portion 45 on its inner end, and an upstanding part 46 on its outer end to abut the aforesaid cross rod 42, as seen in FIGURE 1, to retain the reset mechanism in roll pressure sustaining position. The lever 43 is constantly urged into horizontal position for engagement with the cross rod 42 by means of a spring 47 disposed around the cross shaft 44 and having one end engaged beneath the fiat portion 45 of the lever and the other end anchored to the end stile.

In operation, the instant power reset mechanism is extremely simple and effective. Assuming first, that pres? sure is on the wringer rolls, and the reset mechanism is in the pressure sustaining position seen in FIGURE 1, it is a simple expedient to release pressure on the rolls by pushing or pulling a release bar 48 accessible near the top of the shroud 6 on each side of the wringer, such bars and their mounting being well known in the art, for example in Patent No. 2,962,887, issued to Clark I. Platt and assigned to the assignee of this application. Upon actuation of either of the release bars 48, a push rod 49 is forced downwardly, the lower end of this push rod being in contact with the fiat portion 45 of the stop lever 43, and this action momentarily moves the stop lever from the full line or normal position of FIGURE 2 to the dotted line position thereby moving the abutment member 46 upwardly away from the cross rod 42 and permitting the reset mechanism to assume the position of FIGURE 2 with the roll pressure released.

Immediately upon the release of the roll pressure, handle lever 7 is automatically moved to the neutral position by a mechanical linkage (not shown but similar to the aforementioned Platt Patent No. 2,962,887) thereby stopping drive shaft 8 from rotating. Stop lever 43 assumes its normal horizontal position by action of the spring 47 when pressure on the release bars 48 is relieved.

It will be noted that when the mechanism is in pressure sustaining position, the disk 25 and cam 26 are declutched from the plate 20 by means of the spring 24 having urged the disk and cam outwardly as seen in FIGURE 1. However, when pressure is released, the sudden upward movement of the fork 31 with a resultant downward movement of the bar 34 and the weight of the dropping linkage forces the disk 25 and cam 26 inwardly overcoming the action of the spring 24. Should the pin 29 not enter one of the recesses 22 in the clutch plate 20 immediately, it will so enter one of them almost instantly when the lower roll shaft 9 is again started in either direction. Therefore, almost immediately upon release of roll pressure, the parts of the pressure reset mechanism are in proper position for starting such operation, including both the cam 26 and the stop lever 43.

The reset mechanism functions in identically the same manner regardless of the direction of rotation of the lower roll shaft 9. As soon as that shaft is started in either direction or immediately thereafter, there will be engagement between the cam pin 29 and the clutch plate 20, as shown in FIGURE 5. Accordingly, the disk 25 and cam 26 will rotate along with the shaft. Due to the eccentric disposition of the cam 26 the lower portion of this cam will move upwardly against the bar 34 and force that bar upwardly with a result that the fork 31 moves downwardly from the position seen in FIGURE 2 through the aperture 18 in the bearing cage against the shoulder 19, and forces the bearing cage downwardly thereby pulling the upper roll downwardly under pressure against the lower roll. At the same time each of the legs 38 and 39 of the U-shaped link move initially substantially upwardly by virtue of the pivot connection with the bar 34 and by virtue of the cam slot 40 engaged over the stud or guide pin 41. When the lower portion of the cam slot 40 is reached, this link will be 'moved outwardly and upwardly at substantially 15 to the horizontal thereby causing the cross rod 42 to rest against the upstanding part 46 on the lock or stop lever 43. By this arrangement the major components of force required to maintain roll pressure are absorbed by the studs 41-41 on the frame channels 3 and 4. The parts will then remain in pressure sustaining position as seen in FIGURE 1 because the lock lever 43 prevents any downward and inward movement of the U-shaped link in the reset mechanism.

It will be especially noted that, as indicated in FIG- URE 3, only approximately one-half revolution of the lower roll shaft is required to reset the roll pressure. Once the high part of the cam 26 has passed beneath the bar 34 and all pressure on the cam 26 is released, the spring 24 acts to move the cam 26 and disk 25 axially outwardly along the shaft 9, whereupon the cam 26 and disk 25 will assume the full line position of FIG- URE 3 by rotating relatively to the shaft due to the weight of the eccentrically disposed cam. It should also be noted that the cam 26 is of sufiicient diameter to compensate for future bearing wear and also to assure that the lock lever 43 and cross rod 42 are in sustaining engagement with each other.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I- have provided power pressure reset mechanism embodying few entirely automatically acting parts, which is compact, which requires extremely little adjustment to a wringer frame to satisfactorily mount the mechanism in position, which occupies little space, which is economical and which is not only very rapid in action but also extremely positive.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be elfected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a wringer,

a frame,

a pair of superposed roll shaft-s in said frame,

a squeeze roll on each of said shafts,

drive means to rotate one of said shafts,

cam means on said one shaft rotatable and slidable relatively thereto.

clutch means engageable with said cam and fixed to said one rotatably driven shaft,

a linkage having a portion always in contact with said cam and actuated by said cam means during rotation of said rotatably driven shaft to automatically bias said rolls into pressure engagement with each other,

a holding element to maintain said linkage in a position sustaining pressure on said squeeze rolls,

means for automatically declutching said cam means from said clutch means after said squeeze rolls have been biased against each other,

and means for releasing said linkage to effect the separation of said squeeze rolls, said portion of said linkage moving said cam into engagement with said clutch upon release of said linkage.

2. In a wringer,

a frame,

a pair of superposed roll shafts in said frame,

a squeeze roll on each of said shafts,

drive means to rotate one of said shafts,

wringer roll setting mechanism adjacent said one rtatably driven shaft for urging said squeeze rolls together in pressure contact with each other,

cam means rotatably and slidably mounted on said driven shaft to actuate said wringer roll setting mechanism,

a clutch member fixed on said driven shaft,

said cam means being held in clutching engagement with said clutch member by said Setting mechanism when said setting mechanism is not maintaining pressure on the rolls, and

automatic means to declutch said cam means after approximately one-half revolution of said driven shaft after actuation of said wringer roll setting mechanism.

3. In a wringer,

a frame,

upper and lower superposed roll shafts in said frame,

a squeeze roll on each of said shafts,

drive means to rotate said lower shaft,

a vertically movable bearing cage for said upper roll shaft,

a bearing in said cage above said upper shaft,

a pair of links each pivotally connected to each other and at another point to said frame,

a bar establishing the pivotal connection between said links,

cam means on said lower shaft to raise said bar by engagement therewith,

means actuated by one of said links to engage said bearing cage and draw said cage downwardly and apply pressure between said squeeze rolls when said bar is raised by said cam means, and I manually releasable means to retain said links in pressure applying position.

4. In a wringer,

a frame,

a pair of parallel roll shafts in said frame,

a squeeze roll on each of said shafts,

drive means to rotate one of said shafts,

wringer roll setting mechanism for urging said squeeze rolls together,

actuating means carried by said one rotatably driven shaft to automatically operate s-aid wringer roll setting mechanism upon rotation of said one shaft,

said actuating means being driven by said driven shaft for approximately one-half revolution to automatically bias said squeeze rolls against each other,

latch means for maintaining said squeeze rolls in pressure engagement with each other,

and release means to automatically free said actuating means from driving engagement with the driven shaft when said squeeze rolls have been biased into pressure engagement with each other, said setting mechanism holding said actuating means in driving engagement with the driven shaft when said rolls are not in pressure engagement.

5. In a wringer,

a frame,

a pair of parallel roll shafts in said frame,

a squeeze roll on each of said shafts,

drive means to rotate one of said shafts,

a linkage to bias said squeeze rolls in pressure engagement with each other,

a clutch carried by said one rotatably driven shaft,

a cam assembly rotatably mounted on said one rotatably'driven shaft to actuate said linkage,

means carried by said cam assembly to engage said clutch, and

spring means biasing said cam assembly away from said clutch,

said linkage when in pressure released position urging against the action of said spring means which declutch the cam assembly when the linkage is in pressure sustaining position.

6. In a wringer,

a frame,

a pair of parallel upper and lower roll shafts in said frame,

a squeeze roll on each of said shafts,

drive means to rot-ate said lower shaft,

a linkage to reset pressure between said rolls,

means carried by said lower shaft to move said linkage to pressure sustaining position,

the lower portion of said linkage moving upwardly and outwardly,

a pivoted lever adjacent said lower portion of the linkage,

an abutment end on said lever to abut a part of the lower portion of the linkage and hold the same in pressure sustaining position, and

manually operable means to pivot said lever and release the linkage.

7. In a wringer,

a frame,

a pair of parallel upper and lower roll shafts in said frame,

a squeeze roll on each of said shafts,

drive means to rotate said lower shaft,

a linkage to reset pressure between said rolls including a lower link having an L-shaped slot therein,

a guide pin on said frame extending into said slot,

a cross-bar pivoted to the top of said link,

a pivot pin in said frame,

arms also pivoted to said cross-bar and fixed to said pivot pin, and

a member extending toward the rolls from said pivot pin,

a bearing cage for the upper roll shaft in the path of said member for downward movement thereby when roll pressure is reset,

cam means on the driven shaft to raise said cross-bar and move said lower link upwardly and away from the rolls at an angle when pressure is reset, and

abutment means on said frame in position to engage the lower part of said lower link and hold said linkage in pressure sustaining position.

8. In a wringer,

a frame,

a pair of parallel roll shafts in said frame,

a squeeze roll on each of said shafts,

drive means to rotate one of said shafts,

a linkage to reset pressure between said rolls including a lower link having an L-shaped slot therein,

a guide pin on said frame extending into said slot,

at cross-bar pivoted to the top of said link,

a pivot pin in said frame,

arms also pivoted to said bar and fixed to said pivot pin, and

means extending inwardly from said pivot pin,

a bearing cage for the upper ro'll shaft in the path of said means for downward movement thereby when roll pressure is reset,

a clutch plate keyed to the driven shaft,

a disk rotatably mounted on the driven shaft,

a cam secured to said disk eccentrically thereof and also rotatably mounted on the driven shaft,

said clutch plate having a series of arcuate recesses therein,

a pin carried by said cam and disk to enter one of said recesses and engage the cam with the clutch plate to be driven by the-driven shaft,

a spring between the clutch plate and disk biasing the cam into declutched position and holding the disk against said bar,

said spring being overcome by the weight of the linkage when in pressure released position and said bar moving said disk and cam against the clutch plate,

said cam raising said bar and moving the lower link upwardly and then outwardly at an angle when driven by the driven shaft when pressure is reset permitting said spring to deelutch the cam,-

a cross-rod at the lower end of said lower link, and

a pivoted lever spring biased into posit-ion for one end to engage said cross-rod and maintain the linkage in pressure sustaining position.

9. A wringer mechanism comprising:

a frame, i

a lower wringer roll rotatably mounted in fixed vertical relationship with said frame,

an upper wringer rol'l journaled for rotation in bearing means vertically movable in said frame,

linkage means pivotal about a point on said frame to urge said upper roll into pressure sustaining relationship with said lower roll,

latching means mounted on said frame to retain said linkage means in a position whereby pressure is maintained between said upper and lower roll,

manually operated release means mounted on said frame for releasing said latching means to release said upper and lower rolls from their pressure sustaining relationship,

clutch means locked to said lower roll for rotation therewith,

cam means movable into envagement with said clutch means for rotation with said lower roll when said latching means is released,

cam bar means on said linkage means in cont-act with said cam means to reengage the same with said clutch means when said latching means is released,

said cam means moving said linkage means into the reset position whereby the pressure between said upper and lower roll is re-established whenever said lower roll is driven by said drive means,

and release means to declutch said cam means from rotation with said lower roll after the roll pressure has been re-established.

References Cited 'by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,820,032 8/1931 Roberts 68-253 2,227,119 12/ 1940 Behan 68-25 3 X 2,734,371 2/ 6 Thiele 68-25 3 2,766,604 10/ 1956 Thiele 6825 3 WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

LOUIS O. MAASSEL, Examiner. 

1. IN A WRINGER, A FRAME, A PAIR OF SUPERPOSED ROLL SHAFTS IN SAID FRAME, A SQUEEZE ROLL ON EACH OF SAID SHAFTS, DRIVE MEANS TO ROTATE ONE OF SAID SHAFTS, CAM MEANS ON SAID ONE SHAFT ROTATBLE AND SLIDABLE RELATIVELY THERETO, CLUTCH MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID CAM AND FIXED TO SAID ONE ROTATABLY DRIVEN SHAFT, A LINKAGE HAVING A PORTION ALWAYS IN CONTACT WITH SAID CAM AND ACTUATED BY SAID CAM MEANS DURING ROTATION OF SAID ROTATABLY DRIVEN SHAFT TO AUTOMATICALLY BIAS SAID ROLLS INTO PRESSURE ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH OTHER, A HOLDING ELEMENT TO MAINTAIN SAID LINKAGE IN A POSITION SUSTAINING PRESSURE ON SAID SQUEEZE ROLLS, MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY DECLUTCHING SAID CAM MEANS FROM SAID CLUTCH MEANS AFTER SAID SQUEEZE ROLLS HAVE BEEN BIASED AGAINST EACH OTHER, AND MEANS FOR RELEASING SAID LINKAGE TO EFFECT THE SEPARATION OF SAID SQUEEZE ROLLS, SAID PORTION OF SAID LINKAGE MOVING SAID CAM INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CLUTCH UPON RELEASE OF SAID LINKAGE. 